Examples

Examples are specific instances that demonstrate a broader, abstract theory. Often they are easier to understand because they focus on a particular experience. They make the theory come alive by giving it experiential meaning.

If you think of a map, we can zoom out to look at the entire world. We can zoom in a little to look at the continent on which you live. We can zoom in even further to look at the country in which you live, the state, province, or territory in which you live, your city, your street, and, with Google maps, even your own home.

Each of these views is different. The closer you get to your own home, the clearer your understanding becomes.

This is the purpose of examples. They help us understand things in ways that generalized abstractions of theory cannot.